DO WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER

Abstract

This paper is concerned with one of the most fundamental questions in linguistics, namely the role of language to shape thoughts and cognition, i.e. to affect directly one’s world view. I allude to some outstanding linguists, proponents of this concept and try to elucidate the fact that being bearers of one culture we cannot come to absolute understanding of another culture, irrespective of the fact that we have a good command of its language. The reason is that cultures and languages are relative in their nature and incommensurate to others. There could be commensurability to some extent, but not complete. With simultaneous learning of а language and culture, we can achieve better results in the acquisition of a foreign language.